Plastic materials are generally made of two types of components. The main type of component is the polymer, or resin, which makes up the bulk of the plastic composition. The second type of component is additives. Although additives are a small part of the overall plastic composition, they give plastics useful properties. To a large extent, additives are the components that allow for the great variety of plastics available on the market. One class of plastics additives is plasticizers, which give plastics flexibility and durability. Some plasticizers are used in the composition for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), for example, a polymer used in diverse applications such as coatings, plumbing, construction materials and plastic bottles.
Polymers are used in a variety of plastic articles including films, sheets, fibers, foams, molded articles, adhesives and many other specialty products. In one application, polymers or plastics are used to coat textiles to impart protective and other properties to textiles. For example, it may be desirable to prevent one surface from sliding across another surface, and polymeric non-slip coatings may be used in such applications. For example, liners or underlays may be used to prevent rugs and carpets from sliding across wood and tile flooring. In another application, a non-slip textile product may be used to keep a piece of clothing in place during wear. Polymeric or plastic coatings may also render textiles waterproof or fireproof among other useful properties.